Overview Bluboo S1 - a new budget smartphone with a frameless design

Summer in the mobile market appeared several frameless low-cost handsets from Chinese manufacturers. Many of them look like twins and differ only at the price and the name on the back of firm. For example, Bluboo S1 very similar to a smartphone Doogee Mix, about which we previously told. However, experience from these devices were different.

Specifications

In the analysis of the technical characteristics Bluboo S1 Attention should focus not on the processor and amount of memory. With these components in the smartphone okay. Powerful enough processor easily handles all user tasks, and memory is enough for smooth switching between applications.

The main surprise is waiting for us in the list of installed sensors. The fact that the smartphone there is no proximity sensors and lighting. The first of them is responsible for disabling the screen during a phone call, and the second is needed to automatically change the brightness depending on the ambient light. Although the official site specifications, these sensors are indicated.

With the inability to automatically adjust the screen brightness is still possible to somehow reconcile. Many users do disable this function to conserve battery power. But how could release a smartphone without a proximity sensor, it is not clear.

Bluboo engineers have come up with an original solution to this problem: you have to touch the screen with your ear during the conversation, so he hung up. Yes, this works, but not always reliable. However, in Bluboo argue that this feature only in the first set S1, so let's hope that most buyers it is encountered.

Packaging and appearance

The smartphone comes in a strict black box with shiny embossed. Packaging looks very stylish.

The package includes a protective glass, a transparent silicone case, power supply, audioperehodnik (A standard 3.5-mm jack is absent) and cord USB Type-C for charging and connecting to computer. Go to last should be treated with care: jack smartphone too deep, so most side of the wire is not suitable for him.

Appearance Bluboo S1 can be evaluated on a solid top five. Its shiny black casing looks expensive and stylish. But only as long as you do not leave it on the fingerprints. So you have to still hide this beauty in complete Silicone Case.

To assemble the device, too, no complaints. All parts fit tightly, the buttons do not hang out, crevices and gaps are absent.

Display and Audio

The smartphone is equipped with a bright 5.5-inch display, which promoted company Sharp. The resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels. Color rendering is correct, the picture is not distorted even at considerable angles.

The maximum brightness level allows to use the device even under direct sunlight illumination. But the minimum bit vysokovat that upset the night lovers of reading. However, this is a typical problem of the Chinese smart phone, which is found in each of the second model.

Bluboo S1 Sound can neither praise nor criticize. Absolutely typical for smartphones in this price range indicators: mediocre speaker, suitable only for playing ringtones and notifications, and the same average sound through the headphones. They, incidentally, will have to be connected via the supplied adapter into the socket type USB Type-C, which although does not degrade the sound quality, but has a negative impact on usability. So the owners Bluboo S1 advised to think about purchasing the normal Bluetooth-headset.

Performance

With regard to the established in the smartphone processor is still hotly debated in the forums. On the official site, and in some test programs it is called Helio P25, while other utilities define it as Helio P20.

These processors are not so very different characteristics. In any case Bluboo S1 has a decent performance, allowing hassle-free to chat, watch videos, listen to music, surf the web and do other things. You can play in any mobile game, but the most demanding of them will have to run with medium graphics settings.

The operating system running smoothly and fast, no lags or locked up in the process of testing was observed. A large amount of RAM allows you to run at the same time, several demanding applications and switch between them easily in case of need.

autonomy

Capacitance installed in the battery unit is 3500 mAh. On paper, it sounds promising, but in practice, the autonomy is average. No, one day use Bluboo S1 enough, but no more. And so I would like to get rid of the need to put every night to recharge the gadget.

During testing, the smartphone was able to hold out a little more than five hours at HD-video playback from YouTube with the maximum brightness level. When you use a moderate mode (surfing, phone calls, social networks, a little simple games) work time is about 6-7 hours. Charging smartphone for 1.5 hours under condition of use of the complete power supply.

Camera

The weak point of most of the Chinese budget smartphone - camera. I was no exception and Bluboo S1.

During the campaign it was shown breathtaking photos. The manufacturer also said that the smartphone will be installed matrix from Sony. The main camera is actually defined as the Sony IMX135. But the picture quality we offer to evaluate independently with the help of the samples listed below.

Software

The operating system uses Android 7.0 Nougat, supplemented with proprietary launcher called Phenix. It allows you to change the design of the desktop with a few preinstalled themes. General menu missing applications, all the icons placed on the desktop, the number of which is not limited. application icons can be grouped into folders.

The leftmost screen is designed to display news. I am glad that the selection of the articles is carried out taking into account the location, so that the news are displayed in the main relevant. Although advertising is also lacking.

Among the useful operating system additions can be identified special features for managing smartphone using gestures, the opportunity to wake up the device by double tapom and useful utility for quick access to the main settings and switches.

results

It leaves a mixed impression on the results of testing a smartphone Bluboo S1.

The device excellent appearance due to the quality of materials, assembly and soundly fashion frameless layout. You should be commended for the quality of the phone screen, good performance and a large memory capacity, which is exactly enough to work for a few more years. There are no complaints about the quality of communication, the wireless modules and GPS-orientation system.

However, there is this device and disadvantages. To bad the Chinese smartphone cameras we are almost accustomed to, but the lack of a complete set of sensors - this is beyond the permissible. However, the manufacturer acknowledged the error and the second batch of smartphones to correct this deficiency.

At the time of writing the price Bluboo S1 is 9272 ruble.

The author expresses his gratitude to the company Bluboo for providing the test device.